Game apparatus



No. 6I4,094. Patented Nov l5, I898. w. c. FARNUM.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 15, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CARLTON FARNUM, OF ARLINGTON, VERMONT.

GAM E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,094, dated November 15, 1898.

Application filed Septemberlfi, 1897. Serial No. 651,713. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CARLTON FAR- NUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved tubular missile, devices for throwing the missile, a device for catching and holding the missile at the end of its flight, and an indicator target-plate for showing the position of the missile in the catching device.

The missile consists of a conical tube formed of paper or similar material and covered at its point by a relatively short conical tube of metal, the large end of the paper tube being of sufficient diameter to be so retarded by the resistance of the air that it will quickly turn and drop slowly point downward during the last part of its flight and be retained in an upright position in the catching device. This missile is hereinafter called a cone.

The throwing device consists of a flat bar having an integral cross rocker-bar, with enlarged ends of sufficient length to give a firm support to and check the tendency of the device to slip out of correct throwing position while being operated upon a table-top or similar surface. This form of throwing device is hereinafter called a trap. The other form of throwing device has a long handle carrying the cone-holding projection, the cone being thrown off by swinging the end which carries the cone in the desired direction. This device I call a hurling-stick.

The device for catching the cones consists of a target-plate covered by a catching-net the meshes of which are adapted to retain the cones directly over, but out of contact with, theinscribed divisions of the target-plate and a frame for supporting the net and targetplate. Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of the catching device, with a portion of the net omitted.

The device for indicating the position of the cones in the net consists of a plate fitted to the bottom of the net-frame,with inscriptions corresponding with the rows of meshes of the net marked upon its upper surface, such in script-ions indicating the count of the cones standing in difierent parts of the net. This device I call the indicator.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a plan View of the net, with some of the meshes broken away to show a portion of .the indicator a. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trap, with a cone in position for throwing. Fig. 3 is a side view,. partly in section, of the catching device, with a cone standing in the central mesh of the net. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hurling-stick. Fig. 5 is a side view of the trap, with a sectional view of a cone. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the target a.

The net in Figs. 1 and 3 is shown with square meshes formed by the folds of the cord S, which is held in the notches 1 upon the sides f of the net-frame, Figs. 1 and 3. To more securely fix the net to its frame, the grooves 15 are formed along the top edge of the sides f of the net-frame. The knot 1?. secures one end of the cord S, and the other end 'y is secured in a closely-fitting notch across the corner of the frame. A similar notch 0, Figs. 1 and 3, retains the fold of the cord S where it passes around the corner to change the direction of its folds. The sides f of the net-frame are beveled on the inside at the top 4", Figs. 1 and 3, and gained at the bottom edge on the inside to receive the target a, as shown in sectional part of Fig. 3, this sectional view being in the position indicated by the arrow to in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the cone 0 is shown in section. The shaded portion 1 of the tip represents the section of a conical tube,of metal, fastened to the point of the cone by a covering vof paper, cloth, or similar material, which reaches below the metal tip Q) and embraces the body of the cone cat h. The body of the cones 0 may be made of paper or similar material by bending a triangular piece into conical form and cementing the edges together along one side from point to base of the cone and then weighting the point, as shown in Fig.5 and described above. The conical projection 6, Fig. 5, is fixed to the bar Pof the trap and is made to loosely fit inside the cone 0. It is obvious, however, that any form of projec tion adapted to prevent the displacement of the cones may be used, and it is also obvious that the trap can be used without this projection.

The game is played by placing the trap and net upon a table-top or similar surface, preferably covered with cloth, in the relative positions indicated by Figs. 1 and 2, a cone being placed upon the trap, as shown in Fig. 2, and then tapping upon the inner end of the trap at X. This moves the trap-bar 1) into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, and throws the cone 0 toward the net, as indicated by the dotted are connecting Figs. 2 and 1. Two or more players may enter a game, a number of traps corresponding with the number of players being placed around the net, each player having a set of cones, each set being of a dilferent color for the purpose of identification when a number of cones belonging to different players are mixed in the net. The players shoot one cone each in turn until all the cones of some one of the players have been lodged in the net. Then all the cones are removed from the net, each cone counting its player a number equal to the number of the mesh of the net in which the cone stands, as indicated by the numbers upon the target, and in case a players cone is telescoped into that of another player the full count of all the cones in the pile is given to the player of the top cone.

When the game is played out of doors or in any large space, a larger net is used, which may be placed in a slanting position, with its lower side-toward the players, who stand at a considerable distance and throw the cones with the hurl-stick d, Fig. 4. The cones may also be thrown from the hand of a player by placing a finger inside them when cones of suitable size and balance are used.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A conical tubular missile composed of a light buoyant main tube, supplemented with a relatively short and heavy tube at its apex, and adapted to telescope with its fellows as shown, in combination with a catching device as described.

2. A conical tubular missile composed of a light buoyant main tube, supplemented at its apex with a relatively short and heavy tube, adapted to telescope with its fellows, in combination with the described throwing and catching device.

3. A tapering hollow missile composed of a light buoyant body, a relatively short and heavy tube secured to its point by means of a retaining-cover embracing the short tube and a portion of the body, substantially as shown.

4. A hollow conical missile formed with parallel inner and outer surfaces, and adapted to telescope with its fellows in combination with a catching and supporting device, substantially as described.

5. A missile-catching device consisting of a net, a netsupporting frame, and the inscribed target-plate, in combination with the conical hollow missile, substantially as described.

6. A catching device consisting of a net, a net-supporting frame composed of the side pieces f, beveled upon the inside, the net-retaining notches 2', the target-plate, adapted to catch and support the conical missile in an upright position, as shown and described.

7. A missile catching and supporting device composed of a net, a net-supporting frame and target-plate a, in combination with the conical missile c.

S. A missile catching and supporting device composed of a net, a net-supporting frame provided with net-cord-retaining notches 2 and the target-plate a,substantially as shown.

9. A missile catching and supporting device composed of a net, a net-supporting frame provided with the net -retaining notches i, and the targetplate a, in combination with the conical hollow missile c, as described.

10. A missile-catching device composed of a net, a net-supporting frame and a target bottom plate, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Arlington, Vermont, this 11th day of September, 1897.

\VILLIAM CARLTON FARNUM.

In presence of FRANK N. OANFIELD, MARTIN W. CoNRoY. 

